Phantom Powers
by Pfefferminztea
Summary: Sequel to "Long Distance". When Anzu is offered a new job at a Musical Theater in Tokyo, she is only too happy to accept. However, strange and disquieting things start to happen soon... Inspired by Andrew Lloyd Webbers "The Phantom of the Opera".
1. Overture

She seemed to be nice. _Nice_ in that stupid, _I want us to be friends_-like way only teachers can. Kaito and his friend Hiroto exchanged glances. _New._ She had to be new. To their school, for they had never seen her before. And maybe new to teaching altogether. Great. They could practically smell the boredom ahead. "Well…", she said after a while. "Tomoe-san told me you have been talking about climate change. And what can be done about it. Maybe we could continue to do so, so you can tell her all about it next week." At least she wasn't about to try give them a _fun_ lesson. "I understand you have been talking about saving energy at home, about public transport and-" She glanced at the notebook that contained notes about their last lessons. "_The does and don'ts of shopping. _Next on this list is a lesson about organic products, especially clothing. Can anyone tell me what organic means?" Maybe she wasn't all that bad, after all. Kaito raised his hand, thinking of what Anzu had told him last week, when he'd asked her about all those cloth samples in their living room. "Yes… Kaito?", the new teacher asked after she had checked his nametag. "In this case, it means that the plants of which a product is made are grown without fertilizer and pesticides." A slight smile crept up to the corners of her mouth, Kaito knew that smile. It was the same each and every teacher gave him when he used words normal nine-year-olds didn't use. "A few other things as well, but basically, that's right. Now, can anyone tell me what those words mean?" The new teacher turned around and wrote _fertilizer _and _pesticide_ onto the board. Some of his classmates raised their hands. "Yukiko?" The shy, blue-haired girl looked at the words again, as if she was looking for a point to hold on to, and answered quickly, obviously wanting it to be over and the attention turn to someone else again: "Fertilizer is something you give to plants, so they grow faster. And pesticides kill all the insects that could harm a plant." The young woman in front gave her an encouraging nod. "Exactly. Could you repeat that so everyone can hear it?" Reluctantly, Yukiko did as she was told. Kaito began to doze off while the new teacher began to explain what organic farming had to do with their current topic. He'd heard all that from Anzu already. "Now, can someone tell me the name of a big company that produces clothes? Masako?" One after the other, the names his classmates offered appeared on the board: _Levis. . Nike. _He raised his hand again. "Kaiba Corporation." A slight, friendly frown was the answer. "But, Kaito, Kaiba Corp. doesn't produce clothes. They make toys and run amusement parks." Now _he_ had to hide a smile. He loved to know things others didn't, couldn't know. "So far. But soon, they will sell clothes, too." He could hear some of his classmates snigger at the obvious ignorance of their teacher. She ignored them, or hadn't heard them at all. "Kaito, really, you're mixing that up. My husband works for Kaiba Corp., there are no such plans as you tell us." Anzu had told him not to do that. But it was too tempting. "He does? Well, my uncle _owns_ Kaiba Corp. And he told me." Again, he could hear laughter, this time, it came from the blonde woman behind the teacher's desk. "Excuse me. I didn't mean to laugh at you, Kaito. But you must have gotten that wrong. Maybe he's leading a department of Kaiba Corp, or something. But he can't _own_ it. Seto Kaiba owns Kaiba Corporation." The young boy rolled his eyes. How stupid did she think he was? _Anyone_ in Domino knew that. "I know. Seto Kaiba _is_ my uncle." She didn't get angry, but she looked a bit annoyed. Maybe at him. Maybe at the other kids, who were still laughing. "Now, Kaito, don't lie to me. You know he is not, Seto Kaiba has only one brother and we would know if Mokuba Kaiba had any children." He would. She wouldn't, necessarily. But he didn't say that. "Leave her alone, Kaito", Hiroto whispered. "She's new. She can't know it." – "I _know_." Kaito sighed. "But if I don't say anything now, she'll think I'm a liar. And she mustn't." Aloud, he said: "You're right. He's not my uncle. I just call him uncle, to make things easier. My mother was his wife's cousin." Now she seemed a bit confused, she obviously hadn't expected a third grader to tell so complex a lie. Only it wasn't one, but how would the teacher know? "All right." She said in an amused manner. "But now let's come back to our topic." Kaito got to his feet. "Really, it's true! I can call him, if you want me to." Suddenly, this wasn't about a stupid teacher and some private joke anymore. It was about all the people thinking he made up things to impress others, all the people who thought Kaito Kusakabe-Kaiba was a liar. Of course, Kaito was the only one to notice that. The teacher still thought he was joking. She looked at him for a moment, obviously trying to determine whether she had to set an example against pupils disrupting her lessons here, then shrugged and said: "Alright. Call Seto Kaiba, if you like." Kaito grabbed his mobile phone – the new, expensive one Seto'd given him for his last birthday – and pushed a single button.

--

"Kaito? What happened?" _For emergencies_, he'd told him, so Seto had a right to be a little concerned as he answered his phone now. But still, he hated the way it showed, the way anyone could have guessed in a second how much that boy meant to him. And he wasn't even related to him, technically. "Seto, my teacher doesn't believe I live with you. And she says Kaiba Corp. doesn't have any plans to sell clothes. Could you tell her?" His shoulders relaxed, but Seto tried to sound strict in spite of that smile that tried to inhabit his face. "I told you you could call me in case of an emergency. Do you call that one? You're lucky I don't have any appointments right now." The way Kaito answered, he could almost see his puppy eyes. Damn it, Mokuba must have shown him a few tricks. "I know… but can you? Please?" Seto put the finished contract in front of him aside and leaned back. "I will. But you mustn't do that again, remember. Now, let me talk to her." There was a rustle and a female voice asked: "Hello?" He felt annoyed. He'd never liked teachers, much less the sort that seemed to be more of a cheerleader than an educator. And he hadn't changed his mind just because he happened to be in love with, and married to, Yugi Muto's former personal cheerleader. "This is Seto Kaiba. I understand you have had a little discussion with Kaito. I don't like him showing off his name, but since you seem to have asked, he is my wife's godson and we have adopted him. As for the question the two of you were obviously debating, watch the local news today, if you like. Have a nice day." He put the phone back on his desk and leaned back in his chair, staring out of the window absent-mindedly. Once again, he wondered what it would be like to have children of his own, really his own. He loved Kaito, but he would like to have other children as well. Anzu and he had agreed to wait a few years, always hoping her chance to become a dancer was just around the corner. By now, five years had went by since she had lost her last job and decided to stay in Domino with Kaito and him, and no such opportunity had come. Maybe there would never be one. Anzu never talked about children these days. She seemed perfectly happy with her new job, even if she just taught children to dance instead of performing herself. She seemed perfectly happy with life in general. Maybe he should be, too. Maybe Anzu didn't want any more children.

With a sigh, he turned and went back to work.

--

"Anzu? May I have a minute?" The young woman turned from her students and looked at her employer in surprise. Then she nodded. "Of course. Young ladies, I trust you to behave yourselves while I'm gone." They stepped out on the corridor. "What happened?" Sakura, the owner of the school, looked unusually quiet, almost sad. For a moment, Anzu remembered the night five years ago, when someone had told her the news about the death of Kaito's parents. No, she checked herself, if it was something like that, Sakura wouldn't be that calm. "You know how much I appreciate your work, don't you, Anzu?", the elder woman began. The brunette looked puzzled, but signaled her agreement. Sakura seemed relieved. "Good. Then you know I'd like to keep you here. You do a good job with the kids, excellent, even. But you can do more. I'd like to help you with that, so I talked to a few friends of mine. One of them is willing to offer you a new job, Anzu. As a dancer." For a moment, Anzu didn't say anything. "Are you sure?", she asked when she'd realized Sakura wasn't joking. "You mean, as a _performing_ dancer? On stage?" The elder one nodded. "Actually, the job would involve singing, as well, but I think you learned that as well, didn't you? My friend specialized on musical productions. For now, you would only be a member of the chorus. But they are willing to give you more important roles by and by." A smile appeared on Anzus face. "That's great, Sakura! Thank you so much. You're a real friend." She hesitated a second, then she stepped forward and hugged her employer briefly, but gratefully. "What theater is it?" Sakura gave a little sigh. "That's the problem about it. It's not in Domino. It's the Tokyo City Musical Theater."

--

He could see Anzu's silhouette through the window – judging by the faint glow that came through the otherwise dark pane, she was watching TV. "To be issued in five designs, based on popular DuelMonsters themes – Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, Kuriboh, Baby Dragon and, of course, Kaiba Corporations signature monster, the Blue Eyes White Dragon. – " When Seto opened the door, Anzu switched off the TV and met him in the entrance hall with a kiss. "Hey. How was your day?" He put down his suitcase and wrapped his arms round her waist. "Normal. What about you?" Anzu raised her head, that until now had rested on Setos chest, and looked him in the face. "I've got to talk to you. Sakura made me an offer for a new job." Gently, Seto released her and placed another kiss on her forehead. "Wait for me. I'll just say goodnight to Kaito, then we can talk."

--

Usually the door to Kaito's room stood slightly ajar when Seto came to say goodnight, and his adopted son was waiting for him. Today, Seto found the door closed and didn't get an answer when he knocked. Bewildered, he partly opened the door and peered into the room. Kaito was sitting on his bed and looked at him sadly; his eyes still red from crying. "Why don't you want me to tell anyone I know you? Is it because I'm no real Kaiba?", he asked instead of a greeting. Seto blinked in surprise, then he stepped into the room and closed the door. "Whatever gave you that idea? I thought you knew why I don't like it!" Kaito didn't answer, so Seto sat down beside him and looked at the boy. "I want to teach you not to use your name as an excuse for everything, just because it's famous. And I want you to learn how to get what you want by earning it, not by telling people who you are. That's all." His son looked at him suspiciously. "So you don't mind that I'm only called Kaiba because Anzu adopted me and then married you?" How could he, _he_, of all people? "No, I don't. I couldn't", Seto added, more to himself than to Kaito. The boy raised his head and looked at him. "What do you mean, you couldn't?" Seto didn't say anything for a while. Then he asked: "Don't you know? Didn't Mokuba ever tell you our story? Or Anzu?" His eyes met a look of total confusion. "No, they didn't. What story?" The dark-haired man let his head fall back to the wall and closed his eyes tiredly. He didn't like to tell that story; in fact, he had avoided to do so until now. Never had he told it to anyone, at least not the whole one. But Kaito had a right to know, and there wouldn't be another chance to do it so quickly, so easily. "You know my parents are dead, don't you?", he asked. Kaito nodded. "Mokuba told me so. But he never said… why? I mean, how did they die?" Seto put his arm around the boy and pulled him closer. "My mother died when Mokuba was born. I was five years old then, another five years later, my father had an accident with his car. He was brought to the hospital, but it was to late. He died, too." He fell silent, arranged the words in his head before he spoke again. "We had relatives, of course, but they weren't able, or willing, to take care of us, so Mokuba and I were sent to an orphanage. Do you know what that is?" Once again, Kaito moved his head in agreement. "It's a house where all the children no one wants have to go." A bitter smile appeared on Setos face, but he didn't comment Kaitos definition aloud. He just went on: "We were still called Hida at that time. That's our parents' surname. A few years later, a visitor came to the orphanage – his name was Gozaburo Kaiba. You've probably heard of him, he owned Kaiba Corporation before me. Anyway, Gozaburo wasn't just there for publicity, he also wanted a heir for his company, since his son had died. He offered to adopt me because he thought I had potential, but I wouldn't go without Mokuba. So I challenged him: if I could beat him in a game of chess, he would adopt my brother as well. Gozaburo didn't take that seriously, of course. He was world champion of chess back then, how could a boy of twelve beat him, even with a lot of luck? Well, he was right. I didn't beat him by luck, I did because he underestimated me and didn't pay attention. That's how Mokuba and I became members of this family. Not by birth, by adoption, just like you." Kaito looked at Seto in fascination. A few minutes went by without one of them saying anything. "So you're just like me", the boy said after a while. Seto stroked his shiny, black hair. "I am. Only I didn't have anyone like Anzu to take care of me. You're lucky." The younger one smiled and crawled between his sheets. "I know. Anzu is great." Something about his words made Seto think how much they both owed the young woman. "You're right. She is. Good night, Kaito."

--

Seto was gone longer than she had expected, and when he finally sat down beside her, he looked tired. "You alright?", asked Anzu while she put her book aside and leaned her head to Seto's shoulder. He nodded, and for a moment his wife thought he wanted to say something, but he seemed to change his mind and just ran the fingers of his right hand through her hair and closed his eyes. "You said Sakura offered you a new job?", he wanted to know after a few minutes of silence. "Did you accept?" Anzu gave a little sigh and straightened her back. "That's what I need to talk to you about." She repeated the story Sakura had told her. "I'd really like to accept. You know I've been waiting for this chance for years, but… the theater her friend is running is in Tokyo. I'd have to move there." Seto thought this over. She was right, he realized, even if she used his private jet, she couldn't possibly travel to Tokyo and back every single day, and work there, too. "You ought to try it.", he said, finally. "It won't be easy, but… we'll find a solution, I'm sure of that." It didn't come out quite as encouraging as he had wished it to, but it was all he could manage. He wasn't that delighted at the prospect of seeing his wife only at the weekends for who knew how long.

--

_How did you like it? I've been thinking a lot about how to start this fanfic, I wanted to show some everyday life, but didn't really have an idea what to write. Until that conflict of Kaito living with them and being part of the family, but not really being Seto's son or anything, occurred to me. I got so excited while the scene unfolded in my head! I still like it best, though the "father & son" piece is nice, as well. _

_The thing about Seto wanting to say something, but changing his mind: For days I planned that paragraph to begin with Seto telling Anzu how much he loves her, appreciates her being there for him, etc. But when I sat down to write it, it didn't seem quite right anymore, to sugary and cliché, I imagine Seto to be the person who FEELS this kind of thing, but doesn't really say it. _

_One other thing: This being the sequel to "Long Distance", I won't explain how Kaito came to live with Anzu and Seto all over again, please read the prequel, if you want to know. But if there are any questions about the time in between the two stories, five years, after all, please tell me. I made up some things, but mentioned only what I thought necessary to explain the present situation (like why there are no other children but _

_Kaito). _


	2. Entr acte

"You want to _what_?"

"Move", Seto repeated, though he knew Kaito had heard him perfectly well. "And you can't exactly call it _want_, I just think it's the right thing to do." He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "Your- I mean, Anzu has found a new job in Tokyo, a job she's been waiting for for a very long time. I think we should give her the chance to seize that opportunity. But unless all of us move there, she'd have to go alone, and I think none of us wants that." Kaito looked at him, thinking. "What about my friends?" Seto had expected that, of course. He knew it wouldn't be easy for the boy, but was living without Anzu five days out of seven going to be easier? "You will make new ones, and you can see your old friends every now and then. We're going to keep this house. Anzu will want to see her friends as well. And Mokuba is going to stay in Domino, too. We won't go for good."

--

Anzu unlocked the door to find herself face to face to a grinning Kaito and Seto, whose face showed the same look of expectant amusement she knew from the moments when he was about to unveil one of his glorious tactics. Clearly, the two of them had planned something she didn't know about. "What is it?" It was her birthday, so a surprise wouldn't be out of the ordinary, but something about their triumphant faces made her suspicious. "Come on. We made Sushi.", Kaito announced cheerfully, taking her shopping bags and dropping them at the bottom of the stairs. The young woman's eyes searched Seto's. "Don't worry.", Kaito consoled her when he noticed her glance, "I mean me and Sayuri. He didn't have anything to do with it." One time, almost two years ago, Kaito had persuaded Seto to cook with him. No one had ever suggested they repeat the experiment. Seto grumbled something like "I told you it´s 'Sayuri and me', not 'me and Sayuri'", but Anzu just nodded and followed Kaito into the living room, where the dining table had been set with festive china and Anzu's favorite flowers – forget-me-nots and bright orange roses. She exchanged another look with Seto, this time accompanied by a smile. It was still a mystery to her how he'd found out fire-colored roses were her favorites, but he had sent a whole bunch of them to her dressing room while he was still curting her and continued to do so during the years of their marriage. Her husband picked up one of the flowers and fastened the blossom on her breast, close to her heart, before he pulled her closer and placed a tender kiss on her lips. "Happy birthday.", he whispered, then pulled out a chair for her and helped her sit down, like the perfect gentleman.

They ate in silence, except for Anzu's attempts to find out what it was the two men were hiding. The only answer she got was: "Wait and see." After some time, she resigned and instead congratulated Kaito on the excellent sushi he'd made, though of course she knew a lot of it would have been the work of Sayuri, their cook.

When they were finished, Seto motioned Anzu to the couch and switched on the TV, where the Domino News were just coming up. His wife looked at him bewildered. "What are you doing? If something happened to Mokuba or Yugi, better tell me right away." It was absurd, of course, to think that Seto would want her to hear news like that over the television, but it was the only explanation she could come up with. Seto just smiled again and sat down beside her, while Kaito chose to take a seat on her other side. "Trust me.", he said and looked at the screen. The news speaker had completed her introduction and began to read out the first piece of news. "Domino. Seto Kaiba, CEO of the cities largest company, announced today that he has plans to shift Kaiba Corp.'s headquarters to Tokyo. According to Kaiba Corporations public affairs department, this will not cause any loss of working places. Kaiba stresses nothing will change for his employees or the city's economy. All crucial business is to remain in Domino, where Kaiba's former personal assistant, Roland Isono, will be installed as chief inspector. Kaiba himself will take his new office in Kaiba Corporation's branch at Tokyo, where all future national and international meetings are to take place. Our economy expert, Miho Nobu, has collected some comments." Seto turned off the TV as a woman about forty holding one of those ridiculously big, furry microphones appeared on the screen, and looked at Anzu. The brunette stared back blankly. "Does that mean…?" Her husband nodded. "We're coming with you. I instructed my secretary to start looking for suiting apartments last week, if you like, we can fly over on Saturday and choose one." The truth became clear to Anzu in small bits. After a while, a smile appeared on her face, but vanished again instantly. Her eyes shifted to Kaito. "It's okay.", the boy assured her. "He told me already. I'm guaranteed to be able to see my friends at least twice a month, if I like.", he added proudly, as if he had arranged that during a long and tedious discussion. _Like father, like son._, Anzu thought briefly, but of course, that didn't quite get to the point in this case.

--

_Anyone out there who knows Roland's last name? :D _


	3. Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh

The elderly woman seized one of the wooden sticks that were lined up along the wall for reasons not quite comprehensible to Anzu, and brought it down on the polished floor with two sharp knocks. "Good morning, ladies… and gentleman." Her eyes rested for a few seconds on the only man in the room, who grinned and accepted the friendly laughter of his colleagues as if used to this kind of joke. Then the attention turned back to their teacher, who continued: "I'd like to introduce to you a new member of our group, Madame Anzu Kaiba."

Anzu wondered for a moment why she used the French title, then she remembered – her new trainer was a Frenchwoman. _Madame Giry. What a name for the leader of a ballet. _Some of the other dancers began to whisper at her name, and Anzu noticed the young man on the right side seemed to have cracked a joke, for the girls around him were giggling while he leaned back, obviously pleased with himself.

"Attention, please!", Madame Giry shouted. "Anzu, I hope you don't mind if I use your first name? We usually work like that." The brunette dancer signaled her agreement, but didn't say anything. Her superior seemed pleased and looked at the crowd again. "Anzu will stay with us and take the place of Josie, who, as all of you know, decided to return to her home country in order to be closer to her family. I trust you all to be nice to your new colleague, but I think that reminder shouldn't be necessary with grown up people like you." No one missed the strict look she gave a few young women to the left. "Now, Meg, would you show Anzu around, please, while the rest of us start working."

A blonde girl rose from her seat somewhere in the middle of the crowd and smiled at Anzu while she beckoned her to follow. She seemed to be a few years younger than Anzu, maybe twenty. "Hi. It's nice to meet you.", she greeted her and led her to one of the doors at the side of the room.

In the center, the other dancers were chatting again. "You'd think Kaiba, of all people, could afford to buy his wife a better situation. Or allow her to stay at home altogether", Anzu heard one of them murmur while she and Meg went past the back row. She turned to face the speaker angrily, but her guide stopped her. "Don't bother. Some of them are just… stupid. You can't help that.", she said in a low voice and rolled her eyes, smiling. With that, she opened the door and stepped back to let Anzu pass.

--

When she had calmed down again, the elder one regained her smile. "Meg?", she asked, eying the blonde braid in front of her. "That's a foreign name. You're not Japanese, are you?" The passageway widened and she was able to catch up with the girl in front of her, who nodded. "No, I'm born in France. I'm Madame Giry's daughter. I know.", she added somewhat hastily, when she saw the look Anzu gave her. "A name like that, and then join a ballet. My mother always loved the _Phantom_, so with her name _conveniently _being Giry, she couldn't resist the temptation to name me after Christine's friend. Sometimes I think she married my father only for his name." She grinned to signal Anzu she didn't mean that last part of her story.

"So, what about you? Are you really Seto Kaiba's wife? I'm not that up-to-date when it comes to celebrity news, but the girls in there usually are, so I guess they were right?" Anzu's expression darkened slightly when Meg mentioned the gossip they'd just overheard, but she answered as casually as she could: "Yes, quite right. Except in assuming I would want to use my husband's fortune to buy me a so-called _better_ situation. I like to work for what I get." She sighed. "Let's not talk about that. You were supposed to show me the place, remember?"

"You're right." Meg straightened up and grinned sheepishly.

"Excuse me. I think we start over here. These are our dressing rooms."

She opened a door and stepped inside a vast darkness. The walls gleamed bright white when Meg hit the light. "The real actors get their own private spheres, of course, but we're not important enough for that. We have to share." Anzu caught a comradely smile from the younger woman's lips. "And believe me, after a few hours of sharing this with all the gossip ladies you just had the pleasure to meet, you will think again about the possibility of buying certain privileges."

--

Meg showed Anzu the rest of the theater, a task that took them nearly two hours, then they returned to the gym, where the other dancers were having a break. Some of the girls immediately flocked around Anzu, while Meg disappeared to talk to her mother.

"Hi, I'm Yu.", one of the young women announced and flopped down beside Anzu. "How come you bother mingling with the crowd?" The brunette blinked at that strange, blunt question, but since it was accompanied by a smile, she decided that maybe Yu just didn't have a talent for social conversation. She smiled back slightly uncomfortable and answered: "I've been offered this situation by my former employee, and I figured it would be a good point to start resuming my career as a dancer, so here I am."

The other girls listened eagerly, but it was Yu who spoke again. "Of course, you'd want to start slowly after so long a time. Five years, right? How did you come to that school in New York in the first place?" It confused Anzu to hear a complete stranger talk of her biography like she knew a lot about it, but she did, probably. At least she thought so. Headlines of the past years came to her mind. _Seto Kaiba announces engagement with former classmate – – Beauty and the Beast – Is Seto Kaiba tamed at last? – – Anzu Kaiba, a short biography. _

She had never liked the press writing about her private affairs, but neither she nor Seto had been able to avoid it happened sometimes. "Well, I've always wanted to be a dancer, and I heard the school was good, also I wanted to see New York. So I saved some money and applied for a scholarship. I didn't get it, in the end, but I managed to scrape together the money anyway. What about you?" Yu flashed her a smile that didn't seem quite honest. "Oh, you know, I just had to work my way up. Nothing _fancy_ like you." She got up and her friends followed. "See you, Anzu!"

Bewildered, she watched them leave. "Did you notice how eager she was to speak about herself?", one of the other dancers asked. And, "_Scrape together the money_.", Yu mocked, obviously thinking Anzu couldn't hear her. "Does she think we're completely dumb? Where do you think she _scraped_, Kaiba's bedroom? What a fool the man is."

Meg had returned and placed a hand on Anzu's shoulder, startling her. She seemed to have heard it, too. "Just ignore them, okay? I told you, they're idiots. Don't worry, the others are quite nice." Anzu was surprised to find tears had sprung to her eyes. She blinked them away. "Thanks. But it's just so… unfair. We weren't even a couple at that time, not even close to it!" The blonde sighed. "Do you think they care? They're just jealous, besides, they like to gossip, so if there's nothing to chat about, they just make up random stories, the more shocking, the better. Now, come on, we have to find you a costume. Ever had the chance to see _Joseph and the amazing Technicolor dreamcoat _on stage?"

--

Returning to the life of a professional dancer was more demanding than Anzu had expected. She had known, of course, that there would be several hours of training every day save for the weekends, and sometimes, if the premiere of a new production drew closer, even on Saturdays and Sundays. What she hadn't expected, though, was that this would be so much more exhausting than instructing a bunch of girls anywhere in between four and fourteen years.

True, her voice certainly benefited of the fact that someone else had to do the yelling from now on, before, a sore throat had often been the reward for trying to keep her students' attention. But aside from the physical exhaustion that was mostly cured by a good night's sleep and the knowledge that her family was fine and would be there to support her, should she ever need help, the lessons began to mentally unnerve her.

In spite of Madame Giry's attempts to keep the peace, and Anzu's endeavors to become a respected member of the group, no more and no less, some of her fellow dancers seemed determined to think the worst of her. While most of them behaved friendly, or at least quietly accepted the new colleague, Yu and her small group of friends still seized every opportunity to let the rest of them know what they thought about Anzu's success.

They were so insistent at times that Anzu found herself wondering whether her name had really made any difference to the director. Was it possible that he'd engaged her in the hope of pleasing her husband? Or, worse, had Seto paid him to accept Anzu without letting her know? True, they _had_ waited a long time and maybe Seto had just wearied of the constant hope and following depression whenever a promising envelope arrived at their doorstep. Maybe he didn't really believe Anzu could have done this on her own, that her talent was enough to attract a new employee. Thus were her thoughts when she was alone.

Whenever she returned home to find Seto up to his neck in important work, she chided herself for even thinking he'd have time for even thinking about her career, when his own kept him so busy. And how could she have accused him of pulling the strings behind her back, when there was that unmistakable glow of love and pride in his eyes whenever she talked to him about her work? True, he never said a thing, and his expression usually didn't give away his opinion about his wife's talents, but five years had taught her to read the little signs he sent. At least, Anzu was convinced of this until she returned to the theater and another mean comment made her doubt her own instincts.


	4. Masquerade

_I can´t believe it! I finished chapter six recently, so glad that I could finally update, and noticed that two finished chapters had gone unpublished so far! I´ll upload the three of them during the next few days, starting with this. If anyone still reads this story after all the time I´ve let you wait for it... I hope you enjoy it!_

_Sorry!_

* * *

Slightly exhausted, mainly by her own nervous worries, but happy about the success of "her" first premiere, Anzu entered the dressing rooms after her blonde friend. Some girls were chatting, but most of them just started to change and head for the showers, it had been a long day. Anzu, too, grabbed her towel and undressed, before she treated herself to a long, warm shower.

When she returned, hair wrapped into a turban and only dressed in her towel, she opened her locker to take out the fresh clothes she wanted to wear. She stretched out her hand, but froze in mid air. Neatly placed on top of her underwear, a pale blue envelope waited for her. Beside it, a beautiful, fully bloomed flower spread it's perfume.

_Someone had been at her locker, opened it._

That wasn't particularly difficult, she knew. But still. Who would want to try it? Her first thought was Seto, but the flower, she noticed when she finally dared to take it out of the darkness inside the closet, was a hibiscus blossom of silky-smooth, dark red. Seto, as a rule, always sent her orange roses. Besides, why would he want to place a letter inside her locker, when he had attended the performance himself and would meet her in a few minutes? Her fingers were trembling, Anzu noticed, when she reached for the envelope. Cursing herself for so much stupidity, she started to open it. There really wasn't any reason to be nervous! Probably just a joke.

_Bravo, Mademoiselle!_, she read. French again?

_Your dancing is exquisite, I hope I shall have the pleasure of seeing some more of it, unmingled with the uncoordinated movements of your moron companions.  
Keep up your good work, I see a bright future ahead of you.  
An Admirer_

Anzu frowned. The whole thing seemed more like a clumsy joke than something a real _admirer_ would send. Besides, didn't everyone around here know she was happily married? She examined the note once again to find a clue that would lead her to the real author. Maybe Yu and her gang had prepared that little prank? But she had had some time to study their sense of humor during the last months, and this wasn't quite what she'd have expected them to do. She wanted to put away the paper when her eyes fell on something previously hidden by her own fingers holding the note: Nestled into the lower right corner of the card were two more letters.

_O.G._

--

"Now, Seto, look at you. Who'd ever have thought you would be married to a beautiful, accomplished dancer like that." His sister-in-law grinned in the way that still allowed you to get a glimpse behind the façade, at the ten-year-old child prodigy she had been when they first met, even though she was now pregnant and wearing a dazzling evening gown.

"Yeah." Mokuba slid his arm around his wife's waist and smirked at his brother as well. "It's not like you deserve her, Mister I'll-marry-when-you-can-trace-a-snowball-in-hell. I bet Satan is on skiing vacation right now." Seto wanted to frown, but looked amused despite his efforts. Mokuba had been mocking him ever since he and Anzu became a couple, and Rebecca had joined him soon after she'd become a frequent visitor at the family mansion. He was used to it by now.

"Considering that the two of you fell in love at our wedding reception, I suggest you better not complain.", he answered calmly. It had been a cliché come to life: one of Anzu's bridesmaids and Seto's best man. Rebecca had even caught the bouquet, to make things perfect. The rest of the evening, she had danced exclusively with Mokuba, surprising everyone who'd secretly expected her to take another chance at Yugi, now that her biggest rival was officially out of the way.

The slim figure of Anzu appearing in the doorway across the hall brought him back to reality. Even at this distance, she seemed tired. They met in the middle of the now empty entrance hall, where Rebecca immediately hugged her brunette friend and cried: "You were wonderful. It was hard to make out who you were, in that crowd, but I'm sure you were." Anzu smiled wearily and thanked her, but was instantly interrupted by Mokuba: "Let's go have a drink to celebrate your first performance after so many years, what do you say? We can still get back in time to pay the babysitter or whatever, she'll be there for another hour." They had left Kaito with the daughter of some employee at Seto's new headquarters, though the boy claimed he was too old to have a babysitter.

"No, please, can we do that some other time? I'm really, really tired, I just want to sleep." Anzu yawned, as if to underline her statement. "All right." Her brother-in-law sighed and hugged her good bye. "See you tomorrow, lunch at half past twelve?" Seto nodded, they had agreed to meet the next day before Mokuba and Rebecca had to catch their plane back to Domino. "See you."

--

Impatiently, he paced the semi-dark room that served him as a living room and study. What a pity that fake mirrors were not the fashion these days. He would have loved to see her reaction on discovering his note. But installing one in her locker? That would have been quite a challenge, even for him.

What had she thought, had she said anything? Had she been pleased, showed the letter to her friends, or maybe kept it secret as a special token of affection from someone she didn't know yet, but would like to meet? Or had she been frightened? No, surely not. She was not one of these childish ballet dancers who jumped at every chance to faint. And she had been through much worse.

What about her husband? A feeling of lightheaded nausea took over. Did it even matter what she did, or what she thought? He had calculated it all, she was bound to be trapped by his schemes. The more secure she felt at the moment, the better. And yet, and yet… He pulled the mask off his face and stared at his features in the looking glass. Could any modern girl be so romantic to fall in love with someone like him, even if he had mystery on his side? He wasn't exactly prince charming, and he'd spent most of his life in seclusion. Was he apt to lure a woman into loving him? A woman that, on the other hand, was already in love with Seto Kaiba, whom no one could call anything but perfect at everything? It seemed too much to hope for.

--

Contrary to what she had claimed in front of Mokuba and Rebecca, Anzu didn't go to bed right away. Instead, after they had greeted Kaito, paid the babysitter and sent the boy to bed, she sat down in the living room of their new apartment with Seto.

"What is it?", he asked, suspecting that she wasn't just normally exhausted. The brunette shrugged of his concerns. "Nothing, really. It's just what I said, I'm tired. Look what I found in my locker tonight." She took out the note and with a slight smile handed it to Seto, who read it. Her husband shot her a look of mock worry.

"Do I have to be jealous? Or does the guy know what I'd do to him if he tries to seduce my wife?" Anzu grinned. "And what would that be? Just in case he shows up on our doorstep while you are out, so I can tell him." Seto pretended to think about that seriously. "Well, what about a black eye, for starters? It depends, of course, on how far he dares to go." Yawning, the young woman placed her head in his lap and closed her eyes.

"I'll keep that in mind. Not that I plan to cheat on you. But you never know, maybe I'll have to scare off a not-so-secret admirer." She wasn't really in a mood to joke, but she didn't want to show that to Seto. After all, what reason did she have to be scared? A small signature. She couldn't even remember where she'd heard it before, but somehow the term _O.G. _had sobered her and made her doubt the "silly joke" theory. "

Would you really fight someone for my sake?", she asked into the quietude of the night, not really joking anymore. As an answer, she felt the reassuring weight of Setos Hand on her head.

"Of course."


	5. Think Of Me

It was dark when he opened his eyes, no, not just dark. Lightless. Black as pitch. He sighted with relief. Light, even the faintest glimmer, would have made him suspicious, but he had long ceased to be afraid of the darkness. It was his home, his nourishment, his soul. Blessed darkness! Sometimes, when it was as dark as now, he could even pretend not to have any body at all, to be nothing but spirit and longing and music, floating in the endless darkness around him.

_Fool! _

Like a blaze of lightening, pain flashed through his brain, wrapped him in agony for one endless second.

_Remember! Remember why you are here! Think of her, think of Anzu!_

Anzu. She would never sleep in the dark, he thought. She would be bathed in moonlight, would have a nightlight beside her door in case her son came looking for her during the night… she was so much different from him.

Anzu.

Anzu…

--

"Look at her, that obnoxious bitch." Yu wrinkled her nose and turned her back to Anzu and Meg, who had come into the room, chatting. "As if we wouldn't see right through her masquerade. All those roses and cards and chocolates… not very hard for her to arrange them to be sent to her. With a fortune like her husbands' at her beck and call…" Midori, one of her friends, bowed down to lace her shoes. "I don't know… maybe it isn't her. Maybe it's her husband. Who would want to be showered by rose petals in the middle of rehearsal? That's _too_ embarrassing even for her to arrange." Anzu, meanwhile, had undressed and stepped into the showers. Yu looked after her disapprovingly. "Maybe. But don't you think her husband has more important things on his mind? Besides, Kaiba doesn't exactly have the reputation of being very romantic." She smirked. "There's of course always the possibility of Miss Moral having a lover. Who knows? That would explain the notes. I mean, come on. What husband would need to tell her to "succumb to her dark passions"?", the young woman mused, thinking of a card that had accompanied one of the chocolate boxes that mysteriously appeared inside Anzu's locker, even after the lock had been exchanged and the dressing room locked as soon as the dancers had left it. Anzu was not one to tell everyone what she had found, but in a group like this, secrets were not easily kept. "She looks pale.", remarked another member of the group. "Not like a happy wife. Rather like someone with a lack of sleep. Maybe her conscience is keeping her awake?" – "As well it might, cheating on her husband as she probably is…", Yu chimed in eagerly. Meg shot them a sour look while she was walking by. "Stop making up groundless accusations, you three. You know very well that Anzu is training very hard for her solo part. Of course she's exhausted sometimes." She slammed the doors of the showers shut behind her. Midori rolled her eyes. "Her solo part, big deal. She's got what, ten seconds?"

The girls gathered their possessions and headed for the door.

--

"Anzu? Anzu!" Meg unraveled her thick blond braid and shook her hair, while she stared at her companion. The brunette was standing in the thick, warm rain of her shower and was hugging herself, eyes closed, looking tired, even exhausted. But she didn't seem to hear her friend. "Anzu!" Madame Giry's daughter seized her hand and finally managed to seize her attention, too. "You're taking this too serious! I know, you want to do this perfectly, but no-one will profit from you collapsing during the premiere because you didn't sleep enough. Besides, this is not a major musical. Of course, we don't want to screw up, but… " Anzu sighed and let herself sink to the ground. "You're right. But, you know… it's so much easier to work right now. You cannot imagine what it is like to be at home at the moment, Meg! I feel like I am cheating on my husband, and I'm not even doing anything!" The younger dancer put her hand out for Anzu, but she recoiled. "Don't. Don't tell me it's not my fault or everything's going to be alright. It IS my fault, I should have done something to prevent that lunatic from going after me. I just don't know what. I can't exactly tell the police that I'm afraid because of someone sending me chocolates. It's not like I'm getting any strange calls or feel followed by dark figures." Meg opened her mouth to say something, but before she could make up her mind about what exactly she was going to say, her mother called outside. "Coming!", she answered. "Look, Anzu… Please, try to relax a little. Don't be too concerned. If you think your so-called secret admirer might be dangerous, go and tell them anyway. They will at least give it a thought. But whatever you do, sleep, for heavens sake, and try to talk to your husband. You're _not_ cheating on him, but if you behave like you have something to hide… well, just try it, okay? You can't go on like this." She stroked Anzu's wet hair. "I have to go. I'll see you on Monday."

--

She was so incredibly beautiful… He couldn't congratulate himself enough for finally installing those mirrors, not the fancy, old-fashioned ones he would have liked to see her in, but mirrors nonetheless… at least now he could see her at all. All this modern rubbish didn't suite her at all, he thought scornfully. Ah, that body… like a oriental pearl right from some undiscovered hareem, velvety curves that would have seduced any roman emperor, would have made the toughest Trojan hero tremble with longing… Why then did she wear pants that made her look like a vulgar adaptation of some cheap cowboy movie? How cheap and vulgar the blue cotton cloth looked, however close it might hug her hips. A long, elaborate, flowing dress would have been so much more becoming!

But never mind that now, he would be able to convince her to wear anything they both liked… in due time.

--

Finally, Anzu grabbed her towel and returned to the dressing room. No flowers, notes or chocolates tonight. _Thank god._ If she'd had to hide yet another piece of evidence of her strange admirer from Seto – she wouldn't have known what to do. Sure, it was all innocent enough. But maybe… had she just imagined it or was Seto indeed starting to behave slightly jealous lately? She didn't want to make him worry, too. She had enough worries for both of them already.

"_Ah, Mademoiselle…" _

Startled, Anzu pressed her T-shirt to her chest. She looked around, frightened by the thought that someone – an unknown, male voice! – should be with her in the otherwise empty dressing rooms, but she couldn´t see anyone. Not that that was a reassuring fact. Why was he hiding himself from her? Or had she gone mad? She was absolutely sure she had hear a voice, but there was not a soul in sight. Had he called her _Mademoiselle_? No, that was not possible. Sending her chocolates was one thing. But he wouldn´t dare –

"_Ah, do not trouble yourself looking for me, I will reveal myself to you eventually..."_

It took all her will to ignore the anxious rhythm of her beating heart and remember how to speak. "Who are you? Stop hiding and speak to me face to face!", she demanded, her voice firm in spite of the fear that started to grip her with pale fingers. Bodyless voices… she had always assumed her encounters with supernatural powers had ended with Atem's departure. Hadn't she had enough of this for at least two lives? But the laughter that now rippled the air around her sounded shockingly human.

"_I'm afraid this will have to wait for later, Mademoiselle. But have no fear, I have no desire to hurt you. Allow me to introduce myself as your Angel of Music… Someone who has discovered your talent and would like to bid you company on your path to prominence and perfection."_

Angel of Music? O.G.! Of course! The opera ghost! Anzu almost laughed out loud, so glad was she that everything suddenly seemed to make sense. The Phantom of the Opera! Why hadn't she thought of this before? The whole theater seemed to be full of hints leading to this musical. The great chandelier, Madame Giry, Meg… this had to be some kind of test, maybe a trick they played on every newcomer. A cruel trick, she had to admit, Meg knew, after all, how serious she had taken her secret admirer, but odd traditions tended to be inconvenient… She should be glad that this welcoming ceremony didn't involve her drinking water out of a toilet or another gross detail. On the other hand, this was a theater and her fellow dancers weren't Jonouchi and Honda. "My Angel? My personal guide to fame?", she asked, not even trying to hide the mocking tone in her voice. "Well then, my Angel, I hear you, speak, I'll listen." _Stay by my side, guide me…_, she thought, smirking.

This time, the voice seemed to hesitate a moment until it answered.

"_I am glad that you seem to have dropped your fear so easily. This will make our acquaintance much more pleasant for both of us. But enough of this conversation now. I understand that you would prefer me to be bodily present. If you would care to bestow on me the honor of being your teacher, I would be delighted to educate you in the art of singing. Shall we say, two o'clock tomorrow? Practice room four will be unoccupied by then." _

Anzu opened her mouth to answer, but, somehow, there didn't seem to be a point in doing so. She was suddenly convinced that whoever had played this trick on her, had vanished. _How do you know?_, she thought with a sudden chill. _And how do you know this is really just some kind of joke? It might as well be some perverse stalker still hiding somewhere, watching you._ She shook her head at her own worries. _Nonsense. You're still trying to see mystery behind every corner. Tomorrow, you will call Yugi to ask whether the Pharao has returned. _The thought made her smile. _I wonder what Seto would say if he could hear you thinking things like that. _Finally, she remembered what she had been doing, slipped her T-shirt over her head and buttoned her jeans. There was no point in speculating. Tomorrow, at two o'clock, she would know – one way or the other.


	6. Angel Of Music

_I finally managed to upload this... it has been finished for at least two months, I must appologize for not uploading it sooner... I´m really chaotic when it comes to keeping up a project that involves more than one or two chapters. -.-_

_Though I must say, I´d be a lot more motivated if I knew whether anyone is still reading this... so this time, please, leave a review.  
Thanks!_

_

* * *

  
_

When Anzu entered the theater the next day, she was astonished to find Meg waiting for her in the vestibule. "Here again? Didn't I tell you to rest a little?" She didn't seem too disturbed, though. At least not enough to wipe the warm smile from her face. Anzu chuckled. "As if you didn't know there's something here I need to do…" The blonde girl sighed and shook her head disbelievingly.

"I never met anyone as determined as you, Anzu, and believe me, I've met a lot of dancers in my life. You'll either end up a star or dead before your time, if you don't start taking things a little easier. Your husband called me and asked me to keep you from exhausting yourself again."

Seto had called her? Why hadn't he just told her to stay at home himself? But come to think of it… he had. Anzu felt a pang of guilt. "I won't… but you know that I have to do something first." Meg didn't seem to know whether she should be amused or worried.

"I know. We found another way to ensure that you rest again, though. Hope you like it. Well, go _on_", she added, laughing, because obviously Anzu had peered too pointedly in the direction of the practice rooms. "I won't hold you back, I suppose I can't, anyway." With that, Meg waved at her smilingly and rushed away.

--

_Hope you like it. _So this _had_ been her idea, and she was not even trying to keep it a secret anymore. Well, Anzu supposed that there wouldn't have been a point in doing so anyway, after the incident yesterday. But why had Meg sounded as if she had prepared some special surprise to make Anzu forget her concerns? Didn't she think it was enough for her to know that there was no secret admirer to fret about?

The brunette shrugged.

Well, if her fellow dancer's conscience was a little troubled now, that served her right, she decided. She could have brought this to a close before Anzu lost any sleep over the affair.

Practice room four came into view, the door still firmly shut, but when she approached it and tried to enter, it opened easily. Anzu entered and looked around curiously. The room seemed to be empty except for a strange, white veil that shielded one corner against her gaze. What was this supposed to mean? Had that thing been part of a stage decoration? It didn't look like anything someone would use just for the sake of practice. A slight breeze rustled the thin fabric – but no, the windows were all closed. Was there someone hiding behind the veil? Anzu stepped into the room and approached the curtain curiously.

"Stay where you are, Mademoiselle." She stopped abruptly. Strange that it should occur to her now that this so-called Angel of Music addressed her as _Mademoiselle_… when, strictly speaking, it should have been _Madame_, shouldn't it? She would have to ask Meg, her French was not too good, but since she was married…

So this game was not over jet. But now that she was no more concerned about it, Anzu began to look forward for what would happen next. Her colleagues certainly had put a lot of thought into this! Well, if her role was no more difficult than to obey her "Angel's" orders and enjoy the show, she gladly would.

"Good afternoon, Angel. I may call you that, may I not? Otherwise, I'm afraid you'd have to tell me your name…" Shadows began to dance behind the veil, and Anzu realized that someone had lit a candle there. She suppressed a chuckle. They didn't even use electric light to make the illusion perfect. "You may call me Angel, for now", answered the voice that already seemed familiar.

Suddenly, a line from the play their theater's non-musical group of actors was rehearsing at the moment sprung to her mind.

_My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words of thy tongue's uttering, yet I know the sound._

What was it they were practicing, "A Midsummer Night's Dream"? No. "Romeo and Juliet", that was the play. Maybe Meg had hired one of the actors to pass for her "Angel", maybe that was why she seemed to remember the voice.

Whoever it was, he had lit some more candles in the meantime, causing more comprehensible figures to form on the fabric instead of the insubstantial shadows she had seen before. There was the outline of a piano, if she was not mistaken, and beside it, moving with elegant, slow motions one of a human figure. Male or female, she would not have been able to tell, as the person seemed to wear a long, wide cape or toga, but she supposed that this was the man that had introduced himself as her "Angel of Music".

"Why are you hiding behind that… thing?", she asked curiously. "Didn't you tell me yesterday that we would meet face to face today?" Still, she didn't attempt to lift the curtain or peer behind it, why, she could not tell. The person behind the veil turned and seemed to bow slightly.

"I did promise you I would be bodily present today, which I am, Mademoiselle", he informed her with a slight smile in his voice. "I have reasons not to reveal my face to you just yet, forgive me. I would rather not say such an unpleasant thing in our first lesson, but if you should ever attempt to see my face before I have allowed you to do so, I can no longer be your teacher. That would be a pity, if you allow me to say so, since I am convinced that you have a very good voice, just in need of a bit of training, then nothing should prevent you from applying for a more promising position than that of a chorus girl."

Stunned, she remained silent for a few seconds. Sure, she knew her voice was quite good, and with a little training she could probably achieve more than now, when her principal interest was in dancing. But how could that stranger know? She did not remember singing more than a few simple tunes within the walls of this theater.

_It's a game_, she reminded herself, _it's what he is supposed to say._

Meg, and maybe Seto, had obviously decided it would do her good to concentrate on something beside dancing, and they were probably right.

Still, he had sounded so earnest!

"Is there a specific reason why I'm not allowed to see your face?", she asked finally. Whether she was simply going along with the game, or had forgotten that there was one at all, she couldn't tell. As her "Angel" answered, Anzu had, again, the strange feeling that she could tell what expression he was wearing on his face, though she hadn't even seen it once. A chill ran down her spine. Could it be that this was a voice that expressed more than voices usually do, or was she just imagining it?

"Oh, I prefer to remain incognito. It can be very troublesome to be recognized on the street, don't you think so?"

A slight, ironic smile, and Anzu remembered heads turning, girls barely younger than herself tucking at their best friends' sleeves.

_Isn't that Anzu Kaiba? _

_You mean that dancer girl Seto Kaiba married?  
Who ELSE? It's really her! Oooh, look, she's shopping for toys… wonder if she's pregnant? _

Yes, she could definitely understand why someone might prefer not to be recognized.

"We will start with a few simple exercises to open mind and body to the sacred power of music… would you please stand in the middle of the room, and take care that your feet are a little separated, you need a firm stand. That's right, feel the earth you are standing upon, and now close your eyes. Breathe deeply, but easily. Don't force yourself. I will now sing something for you… you will remain in this position, and try to let the music embrace you completely."

A few lines were enough, and Anzu felt the chill she had felt earlier return. This was more than music, more than a song, it was… she could find no name for it. The unearthly tune filled the room around her and seemed to lift her up, just enough to make her glide forwards without any effort at all.  
Her body stiffened, and when she jerked her eyes open, she realized that the distance to the curtain before her had, indeed, diminished.

The song stopped as soon as the first ray of light passed her widened pupils and hit her painfully in the eye.

"What was that?", Anzu gasped, still trying to regain her balance.

She knew that he was looking at her with a mixture of sadness and humor.

"That, Mademoiselle… was an example of what you might be able to do after I have properly instructed you."

But that was not what Anzu had meant, at least not all of it. What she had wanted to know was, what language, what art could make her body react in this way? In a way that almost felt indecent, adulterous.

"Next time, try to open your mind instead of closing it as soon as you are confronted with something new… otherwise I shall not be able to teach you anything."  
There was suddenly a sharp note in his voice.

"Not everything outside your range of experience is loathsome and dangerous, you know. I think that will be the first lesson you shall have to learn. Go now! Come back at this time next week, then we will be able to do some real practice… and schedule more regular lessons."

--

Still shivering, Anzu unlocked the door to their apartment. By now, she was quite sure that neither Meg nor Seto had anything to do with her mysterious teacher. For one thing, she knew that Seto would never venture to create a scenario that involved so many fantastic, even supernatural elements. Making her believe she had some mysterious admirer was one thing – and maybe not all that unlikely for a husband who felt abandoned by his wife, just to test her fidelity a little? But this bizarre twist of events definitely wasn't justified by an explanation like that.

And then… Her considerable experience involving supernatural forces told her that what this voice had done to her body wasn't a simple trick.

She shrugged of her jacket – had it been raining outside? Or was she just feeling so clammy that even her clothes felt damp to her? – and hung it onto one of the hooks in the entrance hall. But as she turned to have a look into Kaito's room and tell him she was home, two arms that definitely didn't belong to her adopted son wrapped her from behind.

"It's been too long since we've had some time alone, don't you think?"

For a moment, Anzu felt startled, but the welcoming warmth and familiarity of both Seto's words and his hug calmed her.

"Definitely."

She closed her eyes and felt her muscles relax the way they do after a long period of subconscious tension.

"How come you're home already?"

Her husband turned her around and looked down at her with a smirk.

"Let's say I rescheduled my afternoon appointments. My partners will certainly understand that there are some meetings that just can't be delayed."

He picked her up and was half through undressing her in front of a temptingly steaming bathtub – so she hadn't been imagining the coldness outside! – when Anzu suddenly stopped him.  
She cast a worried look in direction of the door, it was still ajar.

"What about Kaito?", the brunette inquired and hastily tried to readjust the bra that Seto had just opened.

Come to think of it, it was not like Seto to overlook an inconvenience like this.

The next moment, Anzu was pleading with an imaginary Kaito to forgive her because she'd called him an inconvenience, even if it had just been in her mind, and almost missed the fleeting expression of hurt pride on Seto's face.

"A little more confidence in my planning, please. Your friend Meg is looking after him, and he'll sleep at her house."

With that, he unhooked her bra again and began to shower her neck with kisses.

Later, when she had curled up in bed beside Seto, feeling comfortably warm and sleepy from the hot water and the champagne her husband had provided, it occurred to her what Meg had meant by _"We found another way to ensure that you rest again, though."_

If she had needed any further proof that her friend hadn't been talking about singing lessons, this would have been it.  
Yawning, Anzu snuggled nearer to Seto's side and closed her eyes.

It didn't matter, did it?

Whoever her new teacher was, he didn't mean her any harm, she just… knew that. Knew it like she knew the way he looked at her even when an impenetrable veil was separating them.

Everything else, she would find out soon enough.

--

_She was standing among a crowd of indistinct people, wearing elegant clothes, looking down from a gallery upon the stage before her. _

_A strange excitement had gripped her, she could feel her pulse racing and her heart beating. _

_(She had been excited to be at the theater before, of course, but this was different. She couldn't remember ever feeling like this, it was a mixture of falling in love and quivering of stage fright.)_

_Eagerly, she took a few steps forward and recognized the scene they were playing. _The Phantom of the Opera_ was unfolding before her eyes, in all its dramatic power. _

_(Had there ever been a scene that involved lianas, though?)_

_The music gripped her, penetrated her, and made every single atom in her body tingle with expectation. _

_A lean, dark figure gripped one of the lianas and before she knew what was going on, he was sailing gracefully through the air in her direction. _

_She remembered it now, this scene somehow involved Erik kidnapping Christine, it would happen any moment… _

_(Why was she thinking of him as Erik? This wasn't his name in the Musical. He didn't have a name!)_

_And wasn't this the reason why this show was so famous? _

_How could she have forgotten? Every night, another woman from the audience was selected to play Christine for this particular scene! _

_Breathtaking, to see that dark prince sail towards you and take you away with him to his realm of magical music… the reason why they were here, all of them!_

_(What was she thinking? There was no scene in which Erik – the Phantom! – sailed away with Christine swinging on a liana!)_

_And then he was there. So present, so imminent, were there really other people around them or was it just the two of them? _

_Without being told, Anzu knew what she had to do. She gripped his shoulder, a few familiar motions, as natural to her as breathing or sleeping, and they were flying across the awe-struck audience. _

_It was a fable, nothing more… Supposedly, another woman was chosen for this scene every night; that was what all of them paid for, sometimes multiple times, the chance to be _the one_, just for one night. _

_But they never were. _

_He always came for her, always had and always would. _

_They were alone now. _

_His body felt familiar against hers, and Anzu felt herself drawn to him by a strong current… or maybe she _was_ the current… maybe he was._

_In trance, she took off his mask, revealing a thick, rope-like, red scar across his face, and her love and longing deepened._

_Slowly, oh, so slowly, she kissed every inch of that mark, every inch of his beloved face… _

_And still, there was the desire. _

_The need. _

She woke up panting, not from fear or exhaustion, but from built up, unsatisfied longing.

A longing she had felt before, in the tune-filled atmosphere of practice room number four.


End file.
